It’s your chance to be a young South Tyneside star

Chris Cordner

Where are all the drummers, orchestras and actors. Where are the dance troupes and musicians?

That’s the question being asked of the Port of Tyne-sponsored Young Performer competition which is back for another year as part of the Best of South Tyneside Awards.

It is a talent competition and it is performance. The message to people out there is ‘this is not just a singing competition’. It is all about performance and having the confidence to go on the stage and showing off what they have got

Susan Wear

The contest will see finalists come together to put on a night of entertainment at The Customs House, in Mill Dam, South Shields, on September 5.

The top three will go forward to the overall finals of the Best of South Tyneside Awards on September 21 at the Quality Hotel in Boldon.

The winners in all of the recent years have been very talented singers and organisers are hoping singers will turn out in force once again for the 2017 contest.

But organisers are hoping all sorts of other performers will give them a run for their money this time. It will make the event a fantastic mix of all that is great about South Tyneside.

Customs House executive director Ray Spencer said: “The talent is there. We give them a lifeline to be seen.”

And he reminded Gazette readers that entrants can be from any type of performance. “It can be a band, a troupe of dancers, an orchestra or musician - anything.

“We have never had any drummers or it could be any type of dance.”

Susan Wear, director of corporate affairs at Port of Tyne, said: “It is a talent competition and it is performance. The message to people out there is ‘this is not just a singing competition’. It is all about performance and having the confidence to go on the stage and showing off what they have got.”

So now all we need are entries for this year’s awards, and we want you to inundate us with impressive nominations.

As well as the young performer category, you can nominate in a whole host of other awards categories.

The overall competition has a headline sponsor of Siemens, and is being held in association with Northumbrian Water, JML, Port of Tyne, Barbour, Harlow Print and the Customs House as category sponsors.